Week 7: The Significance and Attraction of "The Nutcracker"

    We often associate the holidays with the music of the twinkly sound of the Sugar Plum fairy or the upbeat paced Marzipan excerpt from the Nutcracker. However, on the other side of the world, Russia the epicenter of ballet treats it as just another ballet and not a Holiday.

    The premise of the story revolves around the plot of a girl who befriends a nutcracker doll on Christmas eve. Which the doll comes to like and fights the Mouse King. and in which the Nutcracker prince and the girl go into the Land of Sweets. The ties to the American holidays and traditions have made it a ubiquitous part of the "American Christmas". 

     




  "The Nutcracker" didn't gain a strong associate with Christmas in Russia. The production has on-and-off performance for decades as principal dancers of companies were not particularly attached to it. Whereas in the US "The Nutcracker" has become a staple due to influences like front New York City Ballet in 1954. 

    Another more technical reasoning for the low attractions due to the style of the choreography. "The Nutcracker" consists of many bouncy and fast paced sections and scenes where as the "Russian" style is a lot slower and calmer with longer scenes like Swan Lake and more time to show off the expertise of the dancers. Choreographers and artistic directors play a vital role in the shaping and reception of cultural works in the two countries. 

    The cultural attitudes towards the arts and holiday tradition can carry and some of the discrepancies between the two has caused the US to associate the nutcrackers as the staple ballet of the holiday season.

The Nutcracker’: how a Russian composer turned out a highlight of American Christmas

Comments

  1. Allison November 29, 2023 at 5:46 PM

    Hi Patrick! “The Nutcracker” does have a strong association with Christmas in the United States! I remember reading many books that mentioned the characters going to a Nutcracker play in the wintertime. I find it interesting how Russia doesn’t see it as anything special because of how many ballets they have. I wonder if they would have “better” Christmas ballets? I also find it interesting how the different style of ballet sets “The Nutcracker” aside from the calmer scenes from Russian ballets. I wonder if that means this style is less appealing to them? This change of pace would certainly make “The Nutcracker” more unique compared to the other performances.

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  2. Muhammed AliNovember 29, 2023 at 6:46 PM

    Hi Patrick! Before reading this blog, all I knew about "The Nutcracker" was that it was a ballet, and I never really considered the fact that it was a seasonal performance. You summarized the plot really well and I felt as though I had enough context to understand the rest of the blog. It's interesting that the performance is less renowned in Russia considering it was made by one of the greatest Russian musicians ever, but it makes sense because ballet is more popular there and the style has changed over the 100+ years of its existence. From my understanding, since America isn't as akin to ballet as a country like Russia, the performance has an easier time impressing American audiences and solidifying itself as a part of Christmas. I like how you compared their popularity and rise in both of the countries because it gives a double perspective that helped me understand the topic more thoroughly, all while keeping it very concise. Great job!

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